Graphics GALLERY

Description: Blue Flax (Linum Perenne) was introduced from Eurasia and is very similar to the U.S. Native flax (Linum Lewisii) named after Meriwether Lewis who first described blue flax in 1805. It is a desirable wildlife species that is widely available for use in reclamation. Blue flax blooms with persistent small blue flowers for as long as 6 weeks during mid to late summer. It is an excellent soil stabilizer and readily established from seed. This species has seen wide use in Montana both in highway revegetation and coal-mined land reclamation. The stunning and persistent blue flowers have resulted in increasing use of this species in landscaping applications and native plant ornamental arrangements. Credit: Stuart Jennings

Description: Clean water from the Bridger Mountain Range in Southwest Montana spills over banded gneiss exposed by an early 1980's flood event. Middle Cottonwood Creek originates in limestone parent material from the Madison Group and flows through a section of PreCambrian gneiss prior to exiting the mountain range onto unconsolidated alluvial valley fill characteristic of the Gallatin Valley. Credit: Stuart Jennings

Description: The Crazy Mountains of south-central Montana are an outlier mountain range east of the Rocky Mountains. The Crazy Mountains are a complex of alkaline igneous intrusive rocks and metamorphosed Tertiary sediments with age dates of approximately 50 million years. Minor amounts of mineralization were explored during the mining boom days in Montana during the mid-late 1800's, but no significant deposits were mined. As shown in warm morning light, the Crazy Mountains can be seen north of Interstate 90 near Big Timber, Montana. Credit: Stuart Jennings

Description: Land reclamation often requires the use of specialty equipment adapted to steep slopes and rocky ground. The custom drill seeder shown was fabricated by Western Reclamation for use on difficult sites where a typical towed seeder is impractical. The seeder is center articulated, four wheel drive and includes on-board seed boxes. As shown seeding a research plot on the surface of a tailing impoundment near Anaconda, Montana the capabilities of the seeder are not taxed. The test plot was built in 1993 as part of the Anaconda Revegetation Treatability Study (ARTS) implemented by staff from the Reclamation Research Unit at Montana State University. Credit: Stuart Jennings.

Description: Reconstruction of entire watersheds is routinely accomplished as an outcome of surface mining for coal in Eastern Montana. At the Abasoka Mine east of Hardin, Montana a stream channel was reconstructed to mimic the natural drainage patterns existing prior to mining. A tour of the mine was conducted in 2003 as part of the Billings Land Reclamation Symposium. Prior channel reconstruction at the mine employed more uniform channel gradients, while the use of geomorphic concepts led the operator to create a less uniform channel that experienced headcutting and sediment deposition more closely approximating the pre-disturbance channel. Credit: Stuart Jennings

Description: Reestablishment of approximate original contour and replacement of salvaged topsoil is required under the Surface Mine Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA). The large dozer shown in the image is replacing salvaged topsoil over coal mine spoil that has been reshaped following removal of the coal resource. Extensive areas of topsoil removal and replacement are required in the Powder River Basin where near surface coal deposits can be economically recovered by removal of overlying soil and overburden. Credit: Stuart Jennings

Description: Drill seeding is the favored method of seeding on disturbed land in the Western U.S. due to better soil/seed contact. Higher seeding rates are required when broadcast seeding due to seed losses by wind, water and rodents. However, drill seeders can be limited by rocky ground. As shown in the image, the individual discs are moving independently as the tractor slowly pulls the drill over the rocky land surface. This site was contaminated by aerial emission of arsenic and sulfur dioxide from smelters near Anaconda, Montana. Under action mandated by the Superfund law risks to humans, wildlife and water quality were mitigated by treatment of the soil with amendments including lime followed by reseeding with native grasses. Credit: Stuart Jennings

Description: Mine tailings along Silver Bow Creek, near Butte, Montana, have been removed by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality to prevent the release of Cu, As, Cd, Pb and Zn to surface water by storm events, bank erosion and snow melt. As part of the reconstruction effort the floodplain has been reconstructed with clean geologic fill material mined from near-stream sources. Amendment of the fill material with compost has resulted in growth media capable of supporting the growth of perennial native plants. The project began adjacent to the town of Butte and has progressed downstream, approximately 1+ mile per year. Extensive earthwork has been required. Excavated tailing material and contaminated soil has been disposed of either in nearby repositories or hauled 15 miles to the Opportunity tailing disposal facility by train. Credit: Stuart Jennings

Description: The Evening Primrose shown in the graphical image is among many species of primrose. A search of http://plants.usda.gov/ for 'Evening Primrose' returned 208 species. Flowers of the primose are fleeting and appear briefly in early July blooming only one day prior to withering to dried pink petals. The primrose occupies inhospitable dry sites in Montana without significant competition from grasses. Credit: Stuart Jennings

Description: Greenhouse evaluations. Credit: Stuart Jennings

Description: Leaves. Credit: Stuart Jennings

Description: Lime spreader. Credit: Stuart Jennings

Description: Pink cone flower. Credit: Stuart Jennings

Description: Stipa. Credit: Stuart Jennings

Description: Test plots. Credit: Stuart Jennings

Description: Tillage. Credit: Stuart Jennings

Description: Zortman Pit. Credit: Stuart Jennings

Description: Bitter Root (Lewisia rediviva) is native to the Western U.S. and grows in open plant communities on rocky parent material. It is the State flower of Montana and is often seen in the early spring blooming on rocky ridgetops. Bitter Root was a culturally important root crop harvested by Native Americans. In the image depicted, Bitter Root was observed growing on Stucky Ridge north of Anaconda, Montana on land impacted by aerial emissions of As, Cu, Zn and SO2 from historic smelting. Low soil pH and elevated metals did not kill Bitter Root in this location while many species were locally extirpated by air and soil pollution. Bitter Root is difficult to reestablish during reclamation of impacted land and was not included in the seed mix when the Stucky Ridge site was treated as part of the Anaconda Smelter Superfund site cleanup. Credit: Stuart Jennings